Super Saturday: Design and Implementation of Purdue's Special Program for Gifted Children

A third grader reported to her parents that Super Saturday would be perfect if she just did not have to go to regular school during the week. A seventh-grade boy became so enamored of his computer that only when the power plug was pulled could he be induced to leave the classroom. These children were enrolled in a special program for gifted students called &dquo;Super Saturday.&dquo; What is Super Saturday? How did it come into existence? What is unique about the program? This article is a description of this special program from its inception and design through implementation and evaluation. We will particularly focus on some basic and unique needs of gifted children and the ways these needs may be met by a program model like Super Saturday. Gifted children have particular needs that cannot be met by ordinary school experiences. Our own work with the gifted over a period of years and our discussions in numerous seminars led us to formulate a set of needs which seem to be basic for gifted students. These needs